Ellen Frost

Local Color Flowers

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Ellen Frost loves flowers. Even more, she loves owning and operating a flower studio which exclusively sources local flowers. Ellen founded her company, Local Color Flowers, in 2008 as a part-time wedding floral business to provide Baltimore area couples a more sustainable flower option for their celebrations. Over the past 12 years, Ellen has grown Local Color Flowers into a thriving business adding floral design classes, corporate events, subscriptions, and retail as well as creative social and educational community events – all using 100% locally grown flowers. Ellen’s business is a vital contributor to Baltimore’s local economy and a vibrant community resource. Ellen, herself, is an innovative entrepreneur and expert in the floriculture industry sought-after for teaching, business consulting, podcasts, interviews, panels and speaking engagements both locally and nationally.

Have you ever wondered how to approach sourcing locally grown flowers. Our guest this week has created an entire business around doing this very thing! Ellen Frost owns Local Color Flowers and proudly sources 100% of her flowers locally by cultivating relationships and connections with growers and farmers in the Baltimore area where's she's located.

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A Masters of Business Administration (MBA) graduate and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified professional, Ellen has valuable credentials and years of business experience. Her training in operations management, supply chain, and social entrepreneurship provides a unique professional perspective among floral designers. With all her time in the classroom and boardroom, Ellen has not been shy to get her hands dirty. While achieving her Master Gardener certification from the University of Maryland Extension program, Ellen worked several seasons for Breidenbaugh Farm in Carney, MD planting, watering, harvesting, weeding (so much weeding) and selling at market.

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Ellen was recognized in 2016 by the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers with the Allan M Armitage Award for Leadership for her business success, commitment to locally grown flowers and role in developing the US floriculture industry. She has mentored and supported new growers in Maryland for years including a buying promise of the new growers’ entire first year harvest. She writes a regular column for Cut Flower Quarterly with Laura Beth Resnick of Butterbee Farm called “The Farmer and the Florist.” Ellen has taught over 100 design and business courses to garden clubs, flower enthusiasts, budding entrepreneurs, and students from grade school to graduate school, in addition to her formal business consulting relationships.

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Show Notes

  1. It’s important to understand the benefits of sourcing flowers locally. Usually the environment is what is considered, but developing community for the grower, the customers, and your business is key also.

  2. Help educate customers on where flowers come from and the possibilities available to source them from your own community.

  3. Converting or incorporating local blooms can be a process, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. You can gradually work them into your marketing and promotions.

  4. When promoting local flowers, be sure to include history of the flowers or farmer to help develop connections.

  5. By embracing seasonality, you may find new ways to market your flowers since there’s limited availability. You can include this information in your newsletters, emails, and social media.

  6. Be generous with your information and experience. It is always helpful to take the advice and support that has been extended to you. Show your gratitude to your mentors and pay it forward to others.